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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Millennium Dome
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many corporate hospitality events have taken place at the dome to date; and how many are planned. [119307]
Janet Anderson [holding answer 17 April 2000]: During the period 1 January to 15 April 2000 there were 456 corporate hospitality events. For the period 16 April to 31 December 2000 there are 105 confirmed events and a further 476 provisional bookings awaiting confirmation.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much financial contribution to the New Millennium Experience Company corporate hospitality events at the dome (a) have made to date and (b) are expected to make. [119308]
Janet Anderson [holding answer 17 April 2000]: To date corporate hospitality events have represented 17 per cent. of total catering sales. Corporate hospitality events are expected to represent approximately 20 per cent. of all catering sales.
Forth Rail Bridge
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action he has taken since June 1999 to promote the inclusion of the Forth Rail Bridge as a UNESCO World Heritage Site; what progress has been made with preparing a management plan as required by UNESCO for such sites; and if he will make a statement. [120865]
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Mr. Alan Howarth [holding answer 8 May 2000]: Responsibility for nominating the Forth Bridge to UNESCO for World Heritage (WH) Site status, including arrangements for producing a Management Plan, lies with the Scottish Executive. The Forth Rail Bridge is one of 25 sites included in the UK's Tentative List of sites which may be nominated to UNESCO for WH Site status over the next 10 years. My Department is liaising with the Devolved Administrations and other interested bodies over the order and timing of future nominations, taking into account the UNESCO World Heritage Committee's priorities for action.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Back to Work Bonus
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the back to work bonus; and if he will make a statement. [120802]
Angela Eagle: An evaluation of the back to work bonus has recently been completed, with the publication in April of the final report "Prospects of Part-Time Work: the Impact of the Back to Work Bonus". A copy has been placed in the Library.
We will ensure that the back to work bonus continues to complement other measures that provide cash help for people moving from benefits to work.
Job Seeker's Allowance
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what (a) proportion and (b) number of people who claimed job seeker's allowance in 1999 declared part-time work; what their average earnings were (i) per hour and (ii) per week; and if he will make a statement. [120801]
Angela Eagle: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Number of claimants | 33,000 |
| Average weekly part-time earnings | £28.31 |
| Percentage of total JSA(IB) claimants | 3.6 |
Notes:
1. Figures are based on a four-quarterly average of point in time surveys throughout 1999.
2. Claimant figure has been rounded to the nearest thousand.
3. Sample size 5 per cent., therefore subject to sampling error.
4. No account is taken of any partner's earnings.
5. Numbers represent income-based JSA cases where either an amount is taken into account or disregarded from their benefit. It will not therefore include claimants who declare work but receive no remuneration.
6. Information about the hourly level of average earnings is not available.
Source:
Jobseeker's Allowance Statistics Quarterly Inquiries, February to November 1999.
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Stakeholder Pensions
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate the Government have made of the impact of demutualisation of life insurers and private pension providers on the provision of stakeholder pensions. [121031]
Mr. Rooker: It is expected that both mutual and shareholder owned providers will be offering stakeholder pensions from April 2001. Both will operate under the same rules. There is no indication that demutualisation will have an impact on the provision of stakeholder pensions.
Family Support
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what initiatives have been introduced since 1 May 1997 to support the family, with particular reference to cases in which there are children at risk. [120674]
Angela Eagle: We are committed to giving children the best possible start. Measures announced so far in this Parliament will help lift 1.2 million children out of poverty, and are a major step in achieving our commitment to eradicating child poverty. Measures since 1 May 1997 include:
- Child Benefit (CHB)--36 per cent. increase in rate for eldest child. Further above-inflation rise April 2000: standard rate CHB £15 for eldest child, £10 for other children.
- Income-related benefits--child allowance for under-11s up by £4.70 from last October. New allowance for children aged 0-16 now £26.60. Support for children under 11 in the income-related benefits up by over 50 per cent. in two years.
- Sure Start Maternity Grant--April 2000: payments double from £100 to £200, and to £300 from this autumn.
- Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC)--extra help for low-income working families. Includes new allowance for disabled children, extra £21.90 on top of other child allowances, and from June, a £4.35 increase in under-16 child credit (Income Support/Jobseeker's Allowance/Housing Benefits child allowance increase from October).
- Childcare Tax Credit--part of WFTC, 70 per cent. of eligible child care costs up to a maximum of £100 for one child, £150 for two or more.
- Children's Tax Credit--April 2001, new Tax Credit, worth up to £442 a year.
- Integrated Child Credit--from 2003, will bring together different strands of help for children currently contained in benefits and tax system.
Later this year we will be publishing our second annual report on tackling poverty and social exclusion, monitoring progress so far.
Winter Fuel Payments
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people aged 60 years and above are ineligible for the winter fuel payments because they (a) are in (i) residential care, (ii) nursing homes and (iii) local authority residential accommodation, (b) live abroad, (c) are in prison and (d) are in hospital. [120384]
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Angela Eagle: Winter Fuel Payments are provided to older people who are ordinarily resident in Great Britain to help towards their winter heating costs. Where someone is already receiving public assistance with their heating costs it is inappropriate for a Winter Fuel Payment to be made. For example, payments are inappropriate for people living permanently in residential care or nursing homes who also receive help through Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance. It is also inappropriate for Winter Fuel Payments be made to people who do not contribute towards their heating costs, such as those serving a prison sentence or those who have been receiving free hospital in-patient treatment.
The estimated number of people aged 60 or over who were receiving public assistance during the winter of 1999 are set out by category:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Residential care homes | 199,000 |
| Nursing homes | 20,000 |
| Local Authority residential accommodation | 6,000 |
| Sentenced prisoners | 900 |
| Hospital in-patients | 12,000 |
Note:
Numbers are rounded to the nearest thousand.
All estimates are for November 1999 except the estimate for hospital in-patients which is for March 1999. It is not possible to estimate the number of people aged 60 or over who are ineligible for a Winter Fuel Payment because they live abroad, as we do not hold records for those among them who do not receive a social security benefit.
Family Benefits
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many families have been in receipt of (a) family credit and (b) the working families tax credit in each month since May 1997. [121035]
Angela Eagle: Family Credit was replaced with Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) from 5 October 1999.
The information is in the table.
Notes:
1. These figures, and in particular the WFTC figure for March, exclude awards made after March and backdated.
2. Figures are for Great Britain only.
3. Sample size 5 per cent., therefore subject to sampling error.
4. Figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.
Source:
Family Credit/Working Families Tax Credit 5 per cent. sample of awards.
9 May 2000 : Column: 383W
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